Nowhere but the Future
by SkyBunny
Summary: Many things happen in life, but the troubles Danny goes through always have a reason. When his classmates and teacher get thrown into an alternate time-stream, Danny must go through the future that he hope would never come true. Discontinued.
1. Through the Ghost Zone

**Summary: Many things happen in life. Some are just coincidences. Some have a purpose. But the troubles Danny goes through always have a reason. When his classmates and teacher get thrown into an alternate time-stream, Danny must go through the future that he hoped would never come true.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom because I don't have enough creativity to create such a awe-aspiring cartoon. I own the plot though and that's good enough for me.**

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**Chapter 1:Through the Ghost Zone**

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_"Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is gone and over. The future is not guaranteed."~Wayne Dyer_

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Mr. Lancer's classroom was probably the quietest place in all of Casper High. Not only did the tired Monday morning help the unmotivated students who either were too tired to bother texting or pay attention, it was the most boring place in existence.

In the middle of Lancer's lecture on Romeo and Juliet, he was soon interrupted by the sound of a student bursting into the classroom. Danny Fenton, for once, was not late because of a ghost attack he had to take care of in the morning, but because he overslept from another night of ghost hunting. Before Danny could come up with an excuse, Lancer spoke up.

"Mr. Fenton, I suppose this would be another detention for you," he said, writing on his clipboard to take note of his student's tardiness. Danny grunted, just like any other day he was late.

You see, many people would think Danny as an irresponsible child, mostly because of his low GPA average and constant lateness in class. But none of them knew Danny Fenton was actually the spectral ghost hero Danny Phantom who had basically saved the town, more than once.

The only people who knew about this were his two best friends, Sam and Tucker, including his older sister Jazz. Although Vlad also knew about Danny's secret, the crazed up fruitloop didn't want to exactly shout that out loud. He knew what would happen to him if he ever revealed it.

This meant most of the students didn't know his secret identity, including the overweight teacher. Danny walked to the nearest empty seat closest to his friends and slumped to his chair dejectedly. It wasn't fair! He spent the whole night catching ghosts and this is the thanks he gets? Detention? Okay, no one knew about it, but still! Sometimes, Danny wished people knew about his secret so he wouldn't have to come up with a bunch of lame excuses that weren't even true. Well, at least there hasn't been any ghost attacks this morning.

As if on cue, a small mist escaped from his lips. His ghost senses went off. Danny scowled. Of course he had to think those words. He raised his hand. Mr. Lancer raised his eyebrows, already guessing what Danny was trying to say.

"May I go to the bathroom?" Danny asked. Dash snickered, followed by the rest of the football team. Before Lancer could answer, his eyes widened when a blue msit suddenly swirled in the middle of the room, revealing a ghost. Nearly everyone in the room screamed, jumping out of their chairs as they raced to the door way, all except for Sam, Tucker, Valerie and Danny. It was the Box Ghost, the most annoying ghost ever, mostly to Danny's bane existence.

The Box Ghost floated above the classroom, waving his arms dramatically. "I am the Box Ghost! Master of All Things Cardboard And Square!" Danny rolled his eyes.

Sam faked gasped. "Oh no! It's a ghost," she said in mock-horror rather loudly. "Everybody run." No one needed to be told twice as the scared students hurriedly tried to reach the front door. Lancer grabbed the door handle, twisting it furiously.

"Lord of the Flies! It's bolt shut!" The overweight teacher proclaimed. Danny raised an eyebrow. Since when did the Box Ghost become smart enough to lock doors from the outside?

"You will all face my wrath!" The Box Ghost boomed, raising his arms as two large boxes of cardboard floated in the air.

Danny's eyes widened, not because of the floating boxes, but what was inside them. Dangling from the edges of the box, were metallic blue amulets clearly inscribed with the letters 'CW.' Judging by Sam and Tucker's shocked faces, they were thinking the same thing. How did the Box Ghost get a hold of the time medallions? And what are they doing in cardboard **boxes**?

Tucker quickly grabbed a thermos from his backpack and threw it to Danny, catching the metal container with his hands. Before he could aim it at the ghostly pest, Danny was suddenly bombarded with small boxes, knocking the metal container out of his hands. It skidded to the side, closest to Sam.

"You will not trap me in your cylindrical container!" The Box Ghost exclaimed, pointing at Danny. "For I am the BOX GHOST, Master of All Things Cardboard and Square!" The moment he said 'ghost,' the students began banging the door repeatedly. Danny simply gestured at Sam, knowing fully well how harmless the Box Ghost really is.

Picking up the thermos, Sam unscrewed the weapon and aimed it at the spectral pest. With a click of a button, the 'Master of All Things Cardboard and Square" was sucked into the container.

Everyone stood near the door, filled with awe shock that, Sam, a goth geek, had just captured a ghost. How did she do that? The only people who weren't gaping their mouths open and standing around like idiots were Danny, Sam, Valerie, and Tucker. After all, the Box Ghost is the weakest ghost in existence.

Soon, Valerie found herself staring at the two brown cardboard boxes that were left in the scene. Curiously, she walked over and picked up a medallion that was inside the box. She felt the cold metal surface touch against her hand, carefully tracing the inscribed letters in the front. She had never seen anything like it. Almost like it's from the future or something.

Danny, Sam, and Tucker glanced each other nervously. The medallions were extremely dangerous. Who knows what could happen. They both decided they should return the trinkets back to Clockwork as soon as possible. Tucker and Danny carried the cardboard boxes up.

The rest of the students left the room, after one student managed to open the door using a credit card, for they feared that the ghost might return. The only students who didn't leave were Dash, Paulina, Star, and Kwan. They wanted to see what was going on and were a bit curious about the ghostly items the Box Ghost left. Especially Paulina, since she had a complete obsession with the ghost boy, Danny Phantom. Anything involving ghosts was worth looking into, in her opinion.

Sam knew Valerie was involved with Vlad Masters/Plasmius. If Vlad got a hold of it, it won't be long until the lonely wealthy bachelor learns about…**him**. She swiped the Time Medallions from Valerie's hands.

"Hey!" the ghost hunter protested, grabbing back the trinket that Sam took. "What was that for?" Sam was about to take the object from Valerie again, only to be blocked by Mr. Lancer, who stood between the glowering girls.

"Settle down peoples!" The teacher shouted, even thought there were only about eight people in the room, not including himself. Sam's face fell from not getting the chance to take back the trinket, while Valerie silently hid the Time Medallion in her pocket. The bald overweight teacher soon turned his attention to Danny and Tucker and took one of the trinkets, studying it carefully.

Danny was about to tell Mr. Lancer to give back the item, but Paulina swooped down like an eagle and grabbed the metallic object from the box Tucker was carrying.

"Oohh…this would go great with my Ghost Boy shrine." Although Paulina wasn't sure if the ghost boy ever touched it, she could only guess that any ghost item worth taking belonged to him.

Dash perked up when Paulina said those words, knowing fully well what kind of ghost boy she was talking about. The large quarterback loomed over Tucker and grabbed the medallions from the box, hoping the object showed some use. It may belong to Inviso-Bill after all. Soon, Kwan and Star took the Time Medallions and it wasn't long before the A-list hung them around their necks like some sort of badge.

Danny protested. "You guys can't wear those things!" They belong to Clockwork, after all. "It could be dangerous." Dash, Paulina and Star ignored him, knowing that he was only a loser with freaky ghost-hunting parents.

Kwan seemed to be hit by those words, seeing as he was about to take off the medallion. "We should probably take these things off." Dash scoffed in response.

"Fenturd's just a loser, Kwan. What does he know?"

_Well plenty being half ghost and all,_ Danny thought, but he didn't say those words out loud. Sam stood next to Valerie, determined to take back the medallion. She grabbed Valerie by the shoulder, but before Sam could take back the medallion, she felt a tingling cold sensation.

All the students in the room, including Mr. Lancer, were surrounded by a bluish glow, before they disappeared in a flash.

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Darkness descended upon the luminous lair. Clocks surrounded the place, each hand at a different time, which was strange. But then again, this is Amity Park…or was.

Paulina was shaking, her heart thumping loudly as it rang deeply in her ears. The place felt ice cold, almost like the Ghost Boy but more noticeable. Everything here felt wrong and out of place. For some reason, Paulina didn't felt she belong here, like she was something insignificant and tiny compared to this creepy tower. And that just plain sucks.

"Paulina, are you okay?"

The Hispanic girl jumped and swiftly turned around, only to be disappointed when she saw it was Danny who was speaking to her. For a second, the loser sounded just like the Ghost Boy! Ew!

"What loser?" Paulina spat, and then stopped herself. This was no time for insults. Flicking her hair, she closely examined the boy. There was aura of familiarity passing through the social-outcast, like he knew this creepy place. "Where are we?" She finally asked.

"The Ghost Zone," Danny replied, as if it was something you would normally talk about in a conversation. Before Paulina can process what she just heard, a familiar voice spoke out in the shadowy distance.

"Dude, what the heck happened?" It was Dash, judging by his squeaky voice. He approached the two teens, his entire body shaking with either hypothermia or fear. Star, Mr. Lancer, Valerie, and Kwan were behind him, almost as freaked out as he was. Paulina saw Sam and Tucker, looking completely unfazed by the entire situation.

"Everyone, just calm down," Danny said. Everyone stared at the raven-haired guy, feeling nervous. They were just transported into a freaky tower and some kid tells them to 'calm down?'

"What do you suppose we do Mr. Fenton," Lancer replied calmly. Truth to be told, he was impressed at how well Mr. Fenton was taking the situation.

"Well since we got here from these medallions, all we have to do is take these things off," Danny explained, emphasizing his point by gesturing at the amulet hung around Kwan's neck. Sam frowned.

"It won't work," the Goth girl said, speaking for the first time since they got here. "We were transported here by something or someone else. Danny, Tucker and I weren't wearing the medallions when we got here."

"Looks like your idea is dumber that I thought Fentonia," Dash sneered. "That means I'm the leader, got it?" He said smugly, although it was hard to imagine Dash taking charge. It took almost all of Valerie's willpower not to groan. Didn't he hear what Danny had just said? They were in the **Ghost Zone**, for crying out loud! Dash didn't know anything about ghosts!

_He probably didn't want to be under classed by Danny_, Valerie thought bitterly. _I'm guessing he didn't want to be showed up by the 'loser.'  
_

As much as she loved hunting down those spectral spooks in their home turf, she decided otherwise. The African-American slowly backed up to gaze outward at the giant clock above them. Valerie had a feeling she shouldn't be here…

Thump!

Apparently, she bumped into something. Turning around abruptly, she looked down at the floor to see what was dropped and crouched down, only to pick up what seemed like a soup container.

It looked exactly like the thermos Danny and Sam carried, with its metal gleam and colored green edges. Unlike their perfectly mint-condition thermos, this one was worn and bent, with the surface dusty and smeared with small pints of blood. A hard bump was on the object, the dent shaped like a face of someone.

A sudden chill overcame her, looking at the thermos, although she didn't know why, struck thought her like a deathly impending doom that could not be explained. This wasn't like facing Phantom, or even the Ghost King. No. The chill was intangible and petrifying, and all Valerie could do was stare at the object, completely mesmerized by the sudden ghastly aura it gave off.

"Don't touch it!" Valerie dropped the thermos, startled by Danny's piercing tone. He grabbed Valerie by the shoulder and seized the object, his clutched hand filled with forcefulness but at same time, handled with delicate care.

"We should put this back," Danny said slowly, his voice trembling from what Valerie could not be mistaken as fear. The ghost hunter couldn't help but feel curious. Why is Danny acting like this?

"What's in it?" The question was pretty straightforward and simple, but Danny began to pale as if she slapped him in the face. His blue eyes stared at the thermos with such dread that was completely different from anything Valerie had ever felt from someone. "Danny?"

Maybe he didn't hear her question, because Danny stood up and began setting the thermos back onto the counter and began to give a brave smile, although masked with weariness only recognizable to his best friends. Everyone was staring at him now, a bit peculiar by his sudden attitude change while Sam and Tucker cast each other uneasy glances, but didn't say anything.

_Something was definably weird going on with Danny,_ Valerie thought. _Like way weirder than usual._

But she didn't want to press him any further as it already was. So she didn't ask Danny any more questions.


	2. Meeting the Impossible Future

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**Wow, I can't believe I got ten reviews! Thank you to everyone who did! Just for you to know, I don't write stories all the time, so bear with me for the slow updates. Review will help me write faster though...**

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**Chapter 2: Beyond the Future**

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_"There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not."~Robert F. Kennedy_

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Despite what his students thought of him, Mr. Lancer did care about his students. He just didn't show it much though which lead to the popular belief that he showed more preference towards the 'groovy' group than anyone else, like most teachers in the school.

That was not true, and Daniel was proof of that. When he first saw the student enter the classroom, Lancer saw raw potential from the boy and a bright future ahead if taught properly. So the teacher did everything he can to make Daniel strive for success. He scorned, lectured, and criticized Daniel on everything he did. One can often mistake Mr. Lancer's attitude for the boy dislike was actually favoritism. At first, Mr. Fenton's grades were pretty average, a few Bs and C's, but nothing awful. Then, as if by a moving force, something unexpected happened.

Daniel's grades dropped, almost as low as the sinking of the _Titanic_. The student he first saw as someone striving for a need to learn began to fade away like a fleeting dream, replaced by a boy who would always fumble for excuses of his tardiness, including a lazy attitude for his work and studies.

At first, Lancer thought it was because of the problems Daniel had at school, mainly by the sad fact of him being constant bullied and teased at school mercilessly by Dash Baxter. Mr. Lancer was not blind. He knew what problems the child had, before the whole ordeal began. Forget about truth and justice. As far as he could tell, reporting the bullying act to the school board would only make the shy freshman more miserable.

Mr. Lancer can already know what would happen if he did such an act. Mr. Baxter would still continue to abuse Daniel, even if he had found proof, because the school staff would never believe him. They would rather hung on to the small thread that everything was going okay than find out that the star of the football team was actually a bully.

Even the teachers and staff members ignored the signs, knowing that if they did, they'll be labeled as an 'unhip' adult by the 'cool' crowd. Some staff members even tried to fit in with the group, either by handing out free passes to the students or, even worst, actually mock the low-class social rejects of the school.

Mr. Lancer hated the corruption that had continued on in Casper High, so he did everything he can to put an end to it by gathering evidence. Unfortunately, it hasn't been easy when he first started out. The bullies were very discreet and often instilled fear into their victims, which didn't help since they refused to admit that the bully ever hurt them, and the school counselor was ready to accept it whole-heartedly because none of them wanted a bullied adolescent victim in their hands.

Mr. Lancer did the only thing he could do. He pretended to show a preference in the 'hip' students, hoping to gather something that would help him prove his case.

In all his years as an educator, he must admit Daniel was an enigma ever since the accident. Surely, bullying wasn't the reason he has been so distant lately?

No, Mr. Lancer had a feeling in his gut that whatever Daniel was dealing with was much serious than that. As if the shy freshman had a heavy burden in his shoulders. The teacher already ruled out drugs and peer pressure, since Mr. Fenton had a healthy support of friends and was pretty sure the boy was smart enough to stay away from any illegal activity.

Now, looking at his prized student who radiated with so much fear and silence only strengthens Lancer's resolve. Even through Daniel's half-hearted smile, his blue eyes were distant; staring past the turning gears and stony walls into a dark foreboding past that no one could possibly comprehend. What could cause such a tornado of emotions the moment his blue eyes landed on the soup-like container? Is it connected somehow?

Lancer shivered at the thought of a student somehow related to the ghostly thermos. The frightening aura he felt from the object was pure evil, something he had never felt in his entire life. Not even the ghosts gave him that sudden feeling of death and destruction. Daniel couldn't be related to it… can he?

"Mr. Lancer? Are you okay?" Star spoke up, interrupting the overweight teacher's train of thought. He blinked, returning back into the present situation before him. Eight curious pairs of eyes stared at him in puzzlement.

It was by then Dash decided to speak out as 'leader.' ("Remind me again, why is Dash the person in charge?" Tucker asked quietly to Sam and Danny so it wouldn't reach the jock's ears.)

"Don't worry, Mr. Lancer. I'll get us out of this mess," Dash said boldly.

"Fine Mr. Baxter," the teacher sighed. "What do you suppose we do?" Normally, teachers were entitled the right to lead the students in emergency situations, but Mr. Lancer was too drained to complain by the fact that a first year student is taking control of the crisis.

"Okay everyone, follow me," Dash commanded, looking at the group.

"Follow you where?" Sam snorted, crossing her arms. "I'm not following you."

"Well you have to," Dash said in a tone that meant this discussion is over. Sam growled in agitation, but didn't say anything. This was no time to be fighting, especially now.

"Guys, look what I found!" Kwan shouted, pointing at a large circular screen above them. Everyone turned around to see what Kwan was yelling about. It looked like a circular TV screen. The outer rim was made out of some sort of strange dark metal, the screen filled with blankness except for its bluish color. With a sudden flicker, an image appeared.

Danny, Sam and Tucker gasped in a mixture of both recognition and horror while everyone's jaws dropped, quite shocked. The screen was fuzzy, yet the clarity of what the object was showing was quite clear. It revealed a pile of smoldering brick and debris. The damage in the leftover building must have been left like that for a very long time. A large rectangular sign stuck out of the wreckage, the large neon letters readable and familiar.

'Fenton,' it said, the green letters clearly legible.

"Danny, isn't that your house?" Star asked, walking up towards the screen. It couldn't be the same building she always passes through every Saturday for an evening jog. Last time she checked, the building was still standing! She crossed her arms and closely examined the screen, pursing her lips. She couldn't imagine anyone doing so much damage to a building in such a short time, and judging by that loser's shocked face, the girl could only conclude that a ghost did this. The blonde shuddered at the thought. Whoever did that must have been a really powerful ghost. The name Phantom suddenly sprang from her mind.

Star began to speculate if the ghost 'hero' Phantom caused the building's collapse. It seemed possible, since the Fenton's were a family of ghost hunters who despised the ghost boy and it would make sense if the ghost decided to destroy their base. Unlike her friend Paulina and Valerie, Star held no trust or hatred for the ghost hero. In her opinion, Phantom was just a ghost. Now, she wasn't so sure. Was Phantom a hero? Or is he nothing but a menace like Valerie said?

Star's perfectly manicured hands softly touched the panel's surface, and she couldn't help but yelp in surprise. The monitor was warm, but somehow and strangely calming…almost peaceful, similar to a warm summer day.

Her hand suddenly went past through the solid surface and abruptly her entire hand felt pulled towards the panel. The calm, warm emotion she felt a minute ago was all of a sudden replaced by a cold feeling tingling up her spine, like a hurricane pulling her away from this place.

Star gasped from the sweeping emotion and tried to pull her hand out of the monitor. It didn't work and all it did was make the pull even stronger.

"HELP!" Star screamed, her voice filled with panic. Monitors do NOT suck people's hands into the screen!

Kwan immediately grabbed Star's waist and try to pull her hand out of the screen. This only made it worst, and now Star's entire arm was contained inside the circular object. Dash started to grab onto Kwan to help him pull out the blonde freshman, and soon everyone started helping, trying to pull Star out of the monitor.

Suddenly, the monitor began to burst with a flash of light, sucking everyone into the far depths of the forgotten future.

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The entire place was a disaster. Buildings were crumbled and destroyed, not a sight of vegetation left in this place except for the green shrubs of moss. No one inhabited the city. It was as if the entire population was wiped off from the face of the Earth.

Danny, Sam, and Tucker stood up with an air of familiarity aloof, although everyone else was too busy gazing over the polluted sky and wrecked buildings to notice.

Kwan got up from the concrete floor, brushing the dirt and dust off his pants. He nearly choked from the stench from this place, the smell of rusted metal and iron filling his nostrils. What the heck happened to this place? A ghost maybe…

Kwan shudder at the thought. Sure, ghosts have been malevolent at times, but he couldn't imagine any ghost creating such destruction, not to an entire city! It was like a barren wasteland, no signs of human life inhabited the place. What ghost could of done such a thing?

Paulina glared spitefully at Sam, placing her hands on her hips. "This is all your fault, loser!" The Latino girl spat, her lips twisting to a snarl. "If it weren't for you and that stupid necklace thingy, none of this would of happened!"

But Sam wasn't listening to Paulina, too shocked by the switch of scenery. Valerie spoke up.

"Where are we?" She asked out loud. There was something familiar about this place, although she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Danny muttered quietly, and if it weren't for the eerie silence, Valerie wouldn't hear him. The words he spoke were lodged in her brain, a shattering reality coming over her and realized how serious this entire situation was. A million thoughts washed over her, but what bothered her most was how Danny knew about all this. Did she hear it wrong?

"What did you say again?" She asked again, hoping she heard wrong. Danny's eyes widened, realizing he had just spoke his thoughts out loud. He shifted his feet together nervously, glancing at the floor. "Well?"

Danny looked up; his blue ocean eyes looking at her with such sincerity Valerie knew he spoke the truth. "Amity Park."

Valerie backed up slowly. It can't be true! Friends, families, places, everything...gone. She backed up slowly, and suddenly bumped into a statue from behind. Turning around, she heard a group of collective gasps.

A large momentum of Sam, Tucker, and the Fentons' were displayed on the statue, crumbled and decayed, although the printed stone text was clearly readable. Valerie couldn't believe her eyes.

'GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.'


	3. Seeing Double

**EDIT: I changed the part about the part where Clockwork and the Observants. Tell me what you think!**

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**Chapter 3: Seeing Double**

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_"In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility."~Eleanor Roosevelt_

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"Where are we?"

_Amity Park,_ Danny thought, gazing at the overhead gray skies. He thought he would never meet his horrible future again. The rotten stench and dead surroundings were all too familiar. This was Amity Park, ten years into the future. But that's impossible! This can't happen! He didn't cheat in the C.A.T! None of it was suppose to happen. How was it possible that this future still exists?

Valerie stared at the raven-haired boy. "What did you say again?" Danny wanted to bang his head onto the wall for his sheer stupidity. Did he just say his thoughts out loud? "Well?" The ghost hunter demanded, waiting for a response.

He looked up at the African American girl, and understood there was no way Valerie was letting this one go. Even if he did come up with an excuse, they would figure it out sooner or later. He might as well tell them the truth.

"Amity Park," he said. The moment he said those words, everyone gawked at him.

Sam and Tucker were surprised by Danny's confession to the entire group, while Dash, Paulina, and Star is completely appalled by the loser's declaration. Mr. Lancer's jaw dropped. Valerie staggered back a few steps, shocked that this wasteland was actually the hometown she grew up with.

Danny's eyes widened when the young ghost hunter bumped into a statue from behind. He remembered that statue! It was the large monument of his friends and family, their familiar smiles plastered on the crumbled, cold stone. Everyone gasped. Why is there a statue of these people in Amity Park?

"_Anne Frank's Diary_!" Lancer proclaimed, pointing at a statue of himself. Clearly printed in the grey stone was a single word, 'GONE.'

Panic began to fill Danny's lungs, a thousand thoughts and possibilities swarming his mind. How was he going to explain all this? The statues, the destruction...Heck, he had just told a bunch of his classmates and teacher that this wasteland was Amity Park! Everyone was now glaring at him, demanding for an explanation.

Paulina was the one who was the most curious of the bunch. She knew there was something special about the geek. After all, the ghost boy wouldn't be at the same place as him unless it was a coincidence. The loser must be a friend of the infamous Inviso-Bill; otherwise her soon-to-be-boyfriend wouldn't be spending time with such a geek.

"How do you know all this, Fenton?" Dash demanded, for once not calling him rude names. The raven-haired boy sighed. He had a lot of explaining to do, but before he could, a familiar voice spoke out far into the distance.

"Hello? Who's there?"

Turning around, was an older futuristic version of Valerie in red, standing on her hovering board with a surprised look on her face. A single gasp escaped her lips, looking at a deceased teacher who had somehow rose from the dead and younger versions of her classmates, including herself.

Sam put her hands over her face. "This is so wrong," she groaned.

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A dark shadow casted over the clock-filled tower. The usual chiming clocks were now silent, leaving only the sound of a time staff being rewinded. Clockwork gazed at the monitor; the screen is fizzled and disoriented. He had watched Time for as long as it has even existed.

To him, time is irrelevent.

To him, the past, present, and future is merely words.

To him, he knew everything.

Many people and ghosts always conceived him as a manipulative old spirit, but he is only doing his job. He is the Master of Time. Not the universe's babysitter. Nor is he a miracle worker. The Observants are no different, brandishing their so-called powerful status as if they controlled the entire universe. The Observants are behind him at this moment, looking very displeased.

"Now do you understand?" The one-eyed ghost piped up, pointing their green finger at the screen, which only revealed static like a television screen. "His future cannot be seen!" Clockwork simply continued rewinding the knobs of his staff. Of course his future cannot be seen! Interfering with the time stream is a very dangerous and tricky business. He could **see **what would happen if he himself interfered with time, but add the Observants into the picture and he can't see anything. Which is why Clockwork is his employers.

Too bad they weren't really the brightest bulbs in the box.

"We cannot be certain where his motives will lie," the second observant said.

"I have faith Daniel will pick the right choice," he replied, finally finished tuning in the staff.

"He cannot be trusted! Did you not see the monster that is locked up in your lair?" One of the Observants replied angrily.

"And I suppose I should trust your judgment?" The Master of Time replied, morphing his appearance to an adult. His face was neutral, unmoving, yet if you look closely, there was a a little twitch on the corner of his ghostly lips. True, there was no reason why he shouldn't have allowed Daniel to live. It was only a matter of time before Daniel, no, Phantom escapes from his metal container. But there was a reason why he exists in the time-stream, in this place. "You do realize that none of this would of happened if it weren't for **your** meddling…"

"We had reasons to suspect you, Clockwork." The ghost answered. Clockwork sometimes wished their was some other spectral being with time manipulative powers so he wouldn't have to explain these things again. He was simply too old for this.

"You distrust me." He said that as if it were a simple statement. The Observants nodded. "How quaint." When hasn't the Observants trust him? They rarely trusted anyone. Not even themselves. They only see others as pawns. At least he was aware of the consequences he was making to "influencing" another person's choices.

"Danny Phantom must perish, by order of the council. Although his future is unreadable, the risk of letting him live is rather high," the Observant argued. Ah yes, the council. Always observing and never lifting a finger.

"Daniel is my responsibility," Clockwork replied.

"But is it enough?" The ghost questioned. "The universe is at stake simply by his existence."

The old argument never fails to amuse him. It's a wonder why they always make the same mistakes time and time and again, but then again history repeats itself, and in this case, the Observants make the same mistakes every time. They didn't understand. Time is like a river, going at different paths, including the twists and turns of life. All the Observants saw was a straight path, which is why he was here in the first place.

The Master of Time looked at the monitor, the static suddenly gone and replaced with an image of a group of familiar high school students from the present time, gaping at the dead city and future Valerie. Clockwork smirked.

"And I suppose you know all the answers?" He said. The Observants, for once, were speechless.


	4. The Red Huntress' Remorse

**Please don't kill me for not updating for three months. D: **

***gets hit by rotten tomatoes***

**Eep! Okay okay, onto the next chapter. May warn you it could turn a little AU-ish, but then again, this IS from an alternate timeline.**

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**Chapter 4: The Red Huntress' Remorse**

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"_Guilt is the price we pay willingly for doing what we are going to do anyway."~ Isabelle Holland_

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This is a dream.

_I had a dream that Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Mr. Lancer are alive and that I'm seeing someone who looks almost exactly like me. _Valerie thought. But no matter how much she closed and opened her eyes, it still didn't escape from the bizarre truth standing in front of her.

It was impossible. But then again, the thought of **him** gone from both this world and the ghost zone were also hard to comprehend. They had been fighting against the menace for so long it was hard to believe that he was gone.

Although the people gave credit to her for ridding of the intangible evil, it was really all thanks to Danny Fenton, a fourteen year old who conquered his more powerful, more evil counterpart of himself on his own two legs. She looked at the familiar raven hared boy, and knew for sure that it wasn't Phantom. That she was certain.

Everyone here was as confused as she was. Is it possible, that these people were from the past?

She suddenly noticed an amulet dangling around Kwan's neck.

It was the Time Medallion.

She wouldn't past herself that Clockwork may have had something to do with this, but why? Was it possible, that a deeper evil has managed to come back, and that these people were sent back to this horrible place for a reason?

The Red Huntress sighed. No matter how many tales and lies she spun to them, she could never disguise them from the truth, nor would it be any help. But…she couldn't tell them the whole truth, at least not about Danny.

While the people were still staring at her in wonder, she spoke, and begun her tale.

* * *

Rain fell on the dreary landscape. A thousand tiny droplets of water came down from the sky, washing away all curiosity, replaced by a sense of confusion and fear. It sounded so bizarre, so unnatural.

This Valerie from the future told them this, and almost all of the students and Mr. Lancer could only do was nod, a dreary prospect flooding their thoughts. The future of Amity Park; reduced to dirt and ashes.

They expected someone to jump out from the background and say "gotcha," but only the sound of rain was heard. Maybe it was a joke, or some sort of trick, but it was a very convincing one.

They just couldn't deny it was the truth.

The group had just decided to follow the Future Valerie, a feeling a bit strange that an older classmate was guiding them towards shelter. Especially Valerie. How many people have met their older selves?

"So your me?" Valerie asked. Her future self nodded. "And I'm now a ghost hunter for the town?" Another nod.

Paulina gazed sharpened at the two Valerie's. It was so obvious! The fact that the future Valerie looked so much like the infamous ghost hunter was proof that Valerie was responsible for hurting her Ghost Boy! "Wait a second, YOU'RE the Red Huntress that was hunting my precious ghosty Ghost Boy?" she shrieked, her voice reaching several octaves.

Tucker snickered when Paulina said "my precious ghosty Ghost Boy," Sam was glaring daggers at the Hispanic prep, and Danny gave an inaudible groan as his ears went pink.

"So what if I am?" Valerie snapped, to which everyone gasped(except Danny, Sam, and Tucker).

Everyone at Amity Park knew who the Red Huntress was. The rouge ghost hunter was, like the Fentons, a infamous ghost hunter who held a severe hatred for Danny Phantom and would like nothing more than to destroy the town hero and savior of Amity Park. She was often sighted shooting Phantom on a daily basis.

Most of the Danny Phantom 'Phan' Club had an overbearing hatred for the Red Huntress. Especially Paulina, president and leader of the 'Phan' club. Most of the Danny Phantom fangirls consisted of love sick pre-teens and teenage girls who love nothing more than to get in "Phanny's" pants. It was quite frightening, many concerned parents and adults thought, having to see innocent children lusting for an undead ghost.

"All ghosts are evil! Phantom is no different from any other ghost, causing destruction and ruin! Just look at this place!" Valerie continued with her explanation, brandishing a wave to the ruined town.

"But maybe if you weren't so busy shooting our town hero, he would still have a town left for to protect!" Paulina shouted angrily. How dare she hurt her precious Ghost Boy? That geek is gonna **pay**!

"Paulina's right, Val." Star butted in. "You **do** start the fights every time Phantom's around." Valerie gave her a betrayed look, to which Star couldn't help but feel guilty about. She was supposed to be on Valerie's side, not the other way around.

_But Paulina's my friend too!_ Star thought. _And even though Paulina can be a bit shallow at times, she has a point._

"South Beach Diet, people! Settle down!" Lancer shouted. Those words seem to have the opposite effect, as Valerie and Paulina continued to argue in an even louder tone, throwing insults and glares at each other.

Tucker came closer to Star.

"Aren't you going to stop them?" The savvy techno-geek asked, a feral grin on his face.

"Psh. No way, loser. I don't want to get in the middle of their fight," Star replied icily, as she immediately scooted away.

Danny nodded in sympathy. "Yeah, I understand how you feel." Having a strict vegetarian and a meat-lover for a friend was hard, especially during lunch when Sam and Tucker insult each other's taste.

Star raised an eyebrow. "I have to be friends with a strict vegetarian and a carnivorous meat lover for friends," he explained.

"You do know we can hear exactly what you're saying about us?" Sam pointed out.

Meanwhile, the two girls, Valerie and Paulina, were still fighting over Danny Phantom's morality whether he was good or evil.

"HE'S EVIL!" Valerie shouted.

"NO HE'S NOT!" Paulina protested loudly.

"YES HE IS!" Valerie yelled back.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" the Red Huntress yelled over the two arguing girls.

It hurt. The painful reminder of her hatred for Phantom in her early ghost hunting days was too much to bear. It was for that reason that Danny seeks solace to the path to escape all the pain he held for his best friends and family's death.

Including her rejection.

"The Phantom you know," the future Valerie said firmly, "is as human as any one here." She looked at Danny. "I don't think the Phantom you know is evil, nor is he truly good. I think…he's just doing what he thinks is the right thing to do. Just like any other human being here."

Valerie was shocked. She never thought that her own self would disagree with her. "But he's a ghost! They aren't human at all! I don't care what people say about Phantom, a ghost is still a ghost! You know that right?"

"I don't think you realize that a ghost has feelings more acute to a humans," the Red Huntress said quietly. Her past self looked like she wanted to protest, but the future Valerie put her hand up. "It took me ten years to realize that, and my best friend died because I was too stubborn to accept it."

Silence. Only the sound of rain was heard.

Sam finally spoke up.

"Ummm…where are we going anyway?" she asked, hoping to steer the group from asking any more questions. The future ghost hunter and Danny gave a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry, you'll see," the Red Huntress said.

As the group followed the future Valerie, they we're soon met by two people in army uniform guarding a metal building shaped like a disk. Four red lights were attached to the structure, the lights cracked and dim. It looked almost like a UFO, but attached to the ground. The two men stood next to the doorway, which stiffened as soon as they saw Valerie.

"Greetings ma'am," the men said at he exact same time, saluting her. "You've found survivors?" one of the men asked, perplexed at the thought of anyone surviving the ghostly menace.

The older Valerie nodded. "Yeah. I would like to speak to the general."

The soldier bowed, pressing a red button as the sliding door opened. Everyone went inside.

"Soo…who's this 'general' person?" Tucker asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," the Red Huntress replied. One of the soldiers stared at the African-American techno geek, a wash of familiarity coming over him.

"Wait a second. Weren't you the guy who was carved in the statue in remembrance of the accident at the Nasty Burger?"

"Woah, wait a second. I'm famous?" Tucker said out-loud in surprise. He didn't know the Nasty Burger incident was** that** such of a big news.

Before the man can question further, the sliding doors quickly closed. The entire interior looked like a glass elevator, with metal handles, flashing buttons, and walls made entirely out of glass. Wheels churned, gears pulled, and the sound of someone spoke from the loudspeaker.

"Valerie, you here?" The voice asked which sounded familiar.

"Yeah," the older Valerie answered. "Bring me to the general! I found some people who are really important!" The guy in the loudspeaker gave a tired sigh.

"Listen, Val. The general doesn't want to speak with you right now."

"I still want to speak to him."

"Are you sure? He won't be really happy to see you," he said in a nasally voice.

"When isn't he?" The older Valerie muttered quietly, unreachable to anyone's ears. "Well, just tell him I have some people he needs to see."

The person in the loudspeaker gave a snort. "Fine, but it's your funeral Val."

"Sure professor, bye." The loudspeaker gave a 'click.'

Suddenly, the floor moved, going down. Metal walls and doorways surrounding the glass shaft flashed past people's eyes. Dash and Kwan we're having an immense conversation on futuristic sports they may have, Paulina and Star were discussing how makeup would work like in the future, Sam and surprisingly Mr. Lancer were talking about how different literature may be, and Tucker kept asking the future Valerie about how different technology may be. Nothing like having a perfectly normal conversation to get their minds off the sudden predicament they were in.

"So Danny, what do you think that guy was talking about?" Valerie asked.

"Huh?" Danny said, a bit distracted. He was still thinking about what Valerie's older self had said about him. It was a surprise, coming from Valerie of all people

"That army guy. He mentioned something about some Nasty Burger incident. Do you know anything about it?" she asked.

Danny must have known something about it, being related to a bunch of well-known ghost hunters. The Nasty Burger must have some relationship to how this town came to be. It was slender hope though. Ghosts and Time Travel were too different things, but she had hoped Danny might know something about it. It was way better than asking her future self about it, after having a fight over **Phantom**, of all ghosts!

Danny paled. "I-I don't know."

Valerie frowned. He was obviously lying, but decided not to push it.

_Danny's probably still not getting use to our break up, _Valerie thought sadly. She never wanted to break up with Danny, but it was for his own good. Her job was too dangerous, and Phantom may use him to his advantage.

Suddenly, they heard a loud ping and the entrance doors slid open, revealing a large lab. It was filled with many people who were wearing white lab coats. The future Valerie strolled out of the elevator, passing by various pieces of lab equipment. The rest of the group followed.

Sam noticed that most of the scientists were staring at them, especially Danny. The lab that was filled with chatter was suddenly stirred with excited whispers.

"It that...?"

"I think it is...?"

"Strange..."

They stopped when they reached to another metal sliding door. The future Valerie knocked three times.

"Hello, may I speak with you?" she said, speaking into the speaker right next to the door. A familiar voice, different from the other voice in the elevator replied.

"Fine," the rough voice grunted. "I hope you have something worthwhile." After he spoke, the doors immediately slid open as the group went inside.

The room was spacious, that was for sure. It was narrow but stretched very long like a hallway. At the end of the room was a metal desk and floating chair with someone sitting on it. The person was facing at the wall, so it was impossible to make out his face and figure.

"So, what's this 'general' person like anyway?" Dash whispered to the future Valerie.

"He's…difficult." She answered lamely, although it was a complete understatement. For one thing, he had HUGE anger issues and hold grudges longer than…well, anyone.

"Well well well, look what we have here," said the 'general.' The floating chair turned around to the front, and nearly everyone stared.

Strong, tall, and muscular, the general looked like he had just came back from a warzone (obviously). His light, blue eyes stared at the group intensely, as if his eyes would pop out. The left side of his face was burnt black, an ugly mark showed-off like a badge.

He got up from his chair deliberately, and walked up to the group, the sound of metal boots echoing in the long and distant hallway. He wore an orange Haz-Mat suit; one that looked awfully like the one Jack Fenton would wear.

He surveyed the group carefully, and then his eyes stopped when he saw Danny Fenton in the mist. He stared at the halfa for a while, his mouth agape. Slowly, he clamped his mouth shut.

His head snapped at the Red Huntress, a deep pain and hatred seething within him.

"Valerie," he barked, his fist clenched. "Explain this!"

The Red Huntress gulped. She knew he would take this the wrong way. "Look Dash…"

The group gasped. The general is…Dash? As in Dash Baxter, quarterback of the Casper High football team? He looked to scarred and different to be him. Everyone looked at the football player to see how he would react.

He was frozen in shock, quite literally.

"Hello, Earth to Dash?" Kwan said, waving a hand in front of his face. The quarterback could only gape.

"Ahem, as I was saying," Valerie said, ignoring the people behind her. "These people," she said, waving her hands to them. "Are from the past, I think."

"You think?" the general, no Dash, said sarcastically. "And how do you know Phantom's not up to his old tricks?" He gave a cold glare at Fenton as he said that.

"Because I know Phantom more than you do, and I know this isn't like him," she replied back coolly. "He would rather kill us in his true form than to murder us while disguised as his weaker, past self."

Danny wanted to protest that he wasn't **weak,** but the general's "I-am-going-to-kill-you" glare quickly silenced him. Besides, there were people here.

The general rubbed his chin. "Hmmm, you do have a point there. Now what do you want me to do?"

The Red Huntress quickly whispered into the general's ear. Danny caught only one word from the quiet conversation.

Clockwork.

"Humph. Fine. I'll see what I can do," said the general, Dash. "In the meantime, send them to the guest room until further notice." He said, waving them away.

"Yes sir," the future Valerie saluted mockingly, putting emphasis on the word 'sir.' She immediately escorted Mr. Lancer, Star, Kwan, Paulina, her past self, Sam, Tucker, and dragged a very shocked Dash out of the room. She was about to escort Danny out of the room when she heard the future Dash spoke again.

"No. He stays."

"Sir?" Valerie's voice changed to a threatening tone. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"You're not the boss of me Valerie," the general snapped. "Escort the others to the guest room. That's an order."

It looked like Valerie wanted to protest further, but instead she sighed. "Fine, but please don't do anything stupid," she warned, walking out of the room.

Danny gulped. He was alone with a very angry and murderous-looking Dash from the future.

_Oh crud. _Danny thought. _I'm screwed._

_

* * *

_

**Please Review!(even though I don't deserve it)**

***gets hit by rotten fruit***

***screams* DON'T KILL ME! How am I suppose to write the next chapter?**

***people stops throwing fruit***

**Phew! Now the next chapter will take a while. *gets glares* Don't give me that look! It's not my fault I was restricted from using the computer to once a week. **


	5. Distrust and Deceit

**Wow. This chapter was really hard. Especially writing the older Dash's character. Now that was hard! How do I manage to write once a week? I sneak a chance at the computer 4-6 times a day. xD Although it's never enough, only ten or fifteen minutes. D:**

**

* * *

Chapter 5: Distrust and Deceit**

* * *

_"Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not." ~Oscar Wilde_

* * *

The sound of an elevator door slid open echoed the long and empty hallway.

As the entire group got out of the metal shaft, they looked at their surroundings. The place was one floor above where the lab was and it was basically a long hallway with doors on each narrow side of the wall. The older Valerie showed them the metal door as it slid open, revealing the guest room.

"Here's the room you'll be staying in," said the future Valerie.

It was a pretty big, pentagon shaped room, although the metal walls cold and grey. Five small, metal, twin beds were next to each wall. They were obvious high tech since they floated silently, to Tucker's delight.

"We have two guest rooms with five beds per room," the older Valerie continued. "Star, Sam, Valerie, and Paulina will sleep in this room and "

"We have to share a room?" Paulina interrupted. She didn't **want** to sleep in a room right next to the goth geek and loser during her stay in this horrible future.

Sam also expressed dislike for the sleeping arrangements, knowing that she was sleeping to a shallow prep and her best friend's ex-girlfriend who attempted to kill that said friend multiple times.

Valerie didn't even want to go near Paulina, mostly because she'll have to endure the long hours of watching ramble on of her creepy obsession for Phantom. She also disliked being near Manson, who hated her for being near Danny for obvious reasons.

Even Star wanted out on this plan. Knowing that she was a friend to both Paulina and Valerie, she'll probably get into some argument over Phantom or something stupid and she'll have to play peacemaker. **Again. **Also, she never liked the goth geek.

Seeing the girls' loathing expression, the future Valerie replied quickly. "Don't worry, it's only temporary at least we could find the nearest ghost portal."

The nearest ghost portal, as far as Valerie knew, was the Fenton portal. She had heard from Danny that his parents had built a ghost portal in their lab. A horrifying thought had just occurred to her.

In this future, the Fenton Works building was destroyed. What if the only remaining Ghost Portal was in that destroyed place? Would she along with everyone else be forever forced to live in this horrible place?

"Do you know where the nearest ghost portal is?" Valerie asked, hoping that there **is** one.

"Yeah, there is one working portal left that could bring you home," the older Valerie said, a bitter smile on her face, recalling the memories of the day the crazy man told her the truth a year after hearing about Phantom's imprisonment from Clockwork. "Vlad's place."

"Vlad…?" Then it hit her. She must be referring to Vlad Masters, her employer! "Do you mean Vlad Masters?"

Mr. Lancer perked up at the familiar name. "Are you referring to **The **Vlad Masters, multi-billionaire and owner of the Dalv Corporation?" he asked, hiding the astonishment in his voice.

"The very same," the older Valerie said soberly. Valerie looked at her older self oddly. By that tone of voice, her older self sounded almost…bitter.

"What's wrong with Mr. Masters?" she asked.

The older Valerie gave her a solemn look. "Let's just say he wasn't what I thought he was," she said simply.

_What does that mean?_ Valerie thought ingenuously.

Paulina looked at Valerie curiously. She acted like she knew the man personally.

_It may have to do with Valerie's ghost hunting status, _Paulina deducted quickly. After all, Vlad Masters is a multi –billionaire. He probably knew about the whole ghost-hunting business. _But why would a powerful man like Masters want to associate with a fourteen-year-old girl in poverty? _She brooded, thinking over how it could be possible. The Hispanic felt like she was missing one important piece of the puzzle, but what?

The popular cheerleader considered ghosts a possibility for why the man would want to associate with her. Masters must want Valerie because of her ghost-hunting abilities, and the ghost she knew the Red Huntress hated the most was Inviso-Bill.

The immediate thought of the dreamy Ghost–Boy made her giddy inside. Imagining his beautiful snow-white hair, along with his innocent glowing translucent eyes made her heart flutter like a flock of doves. She envisioned her wedding, wrapped in glittering white and pink lace, her ghostly groom smiling beautifully at the Hispanic's lovely wedding grown as they both sealed their true love with a kiss. She placed her hands at her chest, clutching them tightly as she drifted off in her own daydream about the Ghost Boy.

Meanwhile the future Valerie, Dash, Star, Kwan, Mr. Lancer, and Valerie stared at Paulina in puzzlement as to what she could be possibly be thinking about, seeing the girl's sweet, lovesick puppy dog expression on her face. They then decided to themselves it was better if they didn't know.

Sam and Tucker weren't paying attention, too caught up in their own thoughts about the plan thinking the same thing. Even though Danny has managed to save their lives and his sanity thanks to the Ghost Gauntlets from Vlad, he was also the very same person who gave birth to Danny's evil future self in the first place. They recalled the times Vlad had done to them, giving them ecto-acne and putting them in dangerous situations just so he can achieve his own goals.

Could they trust Vlad, after all he has done to them?

_I should probably ask Danny,_ Sam thought briskly. _He would know._

Now that she thought about it, where is he? The older Valerie said Danny was in the lab they had just walked past a few minutes ago. She remembered that the place had a bunch of scientists who were whispering about them.

Sam paled.

_What are they doing to him?_

_

* * *

_

There was quite a difference between the Dash that was standing right in front of him and Dash the football player and bully. For one thing, the football player Dash often used him to pent out his frustrations and failures, one that Danny didn't really care about because he had bigger things to deal with such as capturing ghosts and trying to avoid his parents ghost hunting inventions. Really, Dash the football player was more of a pest than anything else. At least he didn't want to, y 'know, rip him apart molecule by molecule or rule the world like his parents or a certain fruitloop he knew.

Now the Dash right here did not want to rule the world or rip him apart molecule by molecule for further dissection. In fact, he looked like he wanted to murder him on the spot, or make him die a very slow and painful death. Sort of like how Valerie would do to him every time she saw his ghostly alter ego.

Which was actually quite worse, now that Danny thought about it.

"Fenton, it's been ten years," he said, his voice softening although he was still glaring at the ghost-hybrid. Danny thought, _Okay, so maybe he's not going to waste me. But seriously, he needs stop looking at me like that. _Danny looked at the metal tiled floor; not daring to look at the Haz-Mat suit his older classmate was wearing, nor did he want to look at his badly bruised face. It reminded him too much of what his dad wore, and he did **not** want to see a similarity to Dash and his dad. **At all.**

He didn't know what else to say to an older, meaner Dash Baxter. So he simply stood there and said nothing.

"Who are you?"

This time Danny looked up at the man's scarred face, his light blue eyes no longer glaring and angry, just somber.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked, looking pale. He quickly tried to hide it, which wasn't hard since he was looking at the floor. _Is it possible that he knows my secret? _

The general looked at him with a penetrating gaze, and Danny was once again mesmerized by the man's cold glare, his eyes reflecting the demeaning horrors he had to endure, the amount of grief and torture he had live through for the rest of his life. It was unspoken, but no words were needed. The disturbing gaze was enough to reveal all.

Dash's next words gave Danny a chill of uneasiness.

"You should have been dead."

Dash didn't sound angry or upset as he said those words. It was as if he was stating a fact. And it truth, he sort of was. For some reason, it bothered the young ghost hybrid.

_Relax Fenton, it's not like he's going to hurt me or anything. Right? _Danny thought nervously... _And besides, if Dash decides to wail on me, I can just escape using my ghost powers. _Danny reasoned with himself.

But once again he remembered how Dash looked at him, how his eyes burned with rage and hatred. Danny, who was lost in his train of thought, was suddenly punched in the face by Dash with deadly accuracy and no hesitation.

He didn't remember how it happened, but the sudden force landed him to crash into the metal walls, the impact stinging his entire spine and skull. The pain on his forehead stung, a dizziness washing over him.

"Wha " Danny choked, getting back up with his hands clutching his waist. "I don't understand."

"You should have been dead," Dash repeated slowly. A silence followed the two, one man and one half-ghost. For a split-second nothing happened, like the absolute stillness of the cold autumn day. It was at that moment Danny understood.

He understood what he had to do.

There was a flash of light surrounding the young teen's waist, the ring of white light splitting into two. It traveled across his chest and legs, to his shoulders and knees, and finally all the way past his head and feet.

It was a magnificent sight to a new observer to see such process happening. It was hard to believe the Danny was half-ghost, but even more unbelievable to see him change before someone's very own eyes. Those who have seen him believe he was shy, clumsy, and at often times petty and immature. But when you look past his outer armor, his weak facade, you see a boy who is more than that.

He wasn't just a normal teenage boy with ghost-hunting parents. He had a name. He had a face. He had the courage and will to stand up for himself. He was a leader, a friend, a brother, a son, but most importantly, he was Danny Fenton.

So when his eyes glowed a supernatural neon green, when his black hair turn into a snow-white color, when you see his normal jeans and shirt turn into a black and white Haz-Mat suit, you saw something different. You saw a change, both within and on the exterior.

It was a change that was abrupt and without warning. He was now an enemy, a friend, and a hero to the town of Amity Park. He was brave, kind, heroic, and courageous. To the common townsfolk, it would be ridiculous to think that Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom were one of the same. It wasn't because one was ghost and one was human, it was because they were the masks of two different people that only very few could compare as one.

Danny went into his defensive stance and locked eyes with Dash, for once seeing something in the man's eyes Danny couldn't deny.

It was fear.

The emotion only lasted a split second before Dash grabbed the ectogun from his belt and started shooting away.

Green blasts of death spewed from the small gun, as one managed to hit Danny's shoulder.

A sharp pain shuddered from his injury. Danny tried to ignore the throbbing wound as he called back the empty feeling in his body and turned invisible. He looked like he was fading that instant, and then he was nowhere to be seen. He floated up, higher and higher, until he was almost close enough to reach to the metal ceiling. Almost.

But that didn't stop the general from throwing an ecto grenade at the spot he had just disappeared. And then…

KA-BOOM!

A rumbling sound of an explosion blasted from inside the narrow room. It was unfortunate that the place was too small, for the blast was like a gigantic nuclear explosion.

The entire blast sent Dash flying backwards and Danny, being invisible but not intangible, felt the hot, burning pain which rendered him visible and ended him crashing down into the metal ground. Pink smoke surrounded the two people, both gravely injured and coughing.

When the fog cleared, Danny was sprawled across the bent and sizzling hot floor, green ectoplasm and red blood splattered across his chest. Dash coughed, bruises across his face, but nevertheless alive. The same thing couldn't be said to the half-ghost bruised before him.

"DANNY!"

The doors slid open as Sam and Tucker rushed inside the already end of the battle, their faces filled in a mixture of guilt and anger. Guilt for leaving Danny here. And anger to Dash for doing this to their best friend.

They ran up to their injured friend, Sam clutching his limp body in her arms. Tucker studied Danny's face, a large gash on his forehead and his eyes closed and motionless. Like he's sleeping. The older Valerie stood near the doorway, looking from Dash to Danny, her mouth agape in shock.

"Danny! Danny! Wake up!" Sam said desperately, shaking Danny's lifeless body. His snow white hair fell messily to his pale face, no sigh of the slightest breath, his glowing neon eyes closed and dull. It all happened so fast, so quickly. She put her hand over his chest, hastily looking for anything, anything that showed that Danny was still here.

No heartbeat.

Terrified, she clung onto Danny's body, grasping his limp body him as if she was all she had left to prove that the boy was still alive. Red blood mixed with glowing green ectoplasm caked Sam's black clothes, as Tucker stood over his two friends defensively, eyes glaring at the general.

"Leave him alone!" He shouted angrily. "What has he ever done to you?" For a second, the older Valerie feared that Dash was going to answer, that he was going to tell them the truth. Instead, the general swiftly turned away, refusing to say anything. Sam laid over Danny, arms holding him and sobbing hysterically. Valerie had never seen her cry like this. It nearly broke her apart, seeing her like this.

"I'll take him to the medics." The older Valerie spoke. Danny isn't dead. He couldn't be dead. Dash isn't stupid. Dash isn't dumb.

But that only made the goth girl clung to him harder, her sobs became louder and louder, gasping for air, as she spiraled deeper and deeper into her own despair. Tucker had to pull Sam of her clutches out so the woman could carry Danny behind her back, pass the metal sliding doors.

Too upset and concerned for their best friend, Sam and Tucker followed the older woman, as Dash simply stood their, not a tear shed.

* * *

**Please tell me what you think of the small fight scene between Dash and Danny. I need critique, since I suck at fight scenes. I also did some editing of Chapter three. You don't have to read it, but I'd like it if you tell me what you thought about it. *hides* **

**Is Danny dead? Well, that depends on how many reviews I get. God, I'm such an evil author. lol.**


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